Coffin



NITED STATES ATENT onion.

FRANZ EGERLAND AND JOHN M. FREESE, OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.

COFF|N.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,254, dated.February 19, 1895. Application filed November 15,1894:- Serial No.528,904- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANZ EGERLAND and J OHN M. FREESE, citizens of theUnited States,

residing at Sioux Falls, in the county of Minnehaha and State of SouthDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffins;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in'.

coffins or burial caskets, the object of the same being to provide adevice of this character, which is designed to prevent the sufiocationof persons accidentally buried alive and enable them to sound an alarm,indicating that life is not yet extinct. V

The invention consists in the provision of a coffin of ordinaryconstruction provided with a tube or pipe leading from the surface ofthe ground to a point inside the coffin for the purpose of providing airto maintain the life in a revivified person, the said pipe having aglobe attached atone point between the coffin and the surface of theearth adapted to hold disinfecting material to prevent the discharge ofpoisonous or obnoxious gases from the ooffin. We also supply the cofiinwith an electric battery, the wires therefrom leading through the airinlet pipe to an alarm on the outside of the ground, the circuit of saidalarm being closed by a slight movement of the revivified person.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a plan View of a coffin made according to ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section of thesame, showing the air inlet pipe leadin g therefrom. Fig.3 is asideelevation of the circuit closing device.

Similar numerals of reference indicate simi lar parts in the variousviews.

1 represents a coffin, and 2 a pipe leading from inside thereof to thesurface of the earth, or to a point some distance above it. This tubeleads from one side of the coffin and enters the same through an openingtherein, as shown at 3. At a point about midway between the coffin andthe surface of the earth we 10- cate a globe 4, in which is placed asuitable disinfecting substancefor the purpose of preventing noxiousgases from rising from'the coffin, to the surface of the earth. Situatedat any suitable point inside the coffin is an electric battery 5,preferably a dry battery, the same having'circuit wires leadingtherefrom up through the pipe 2 and connecting with an annunciator oralarm 6 on the outside and at a point inside the coffin is a push buttonor other circuit closing apparatus, as shown in Fig.3. This consists ofa strong flat spring 7, which when raised, is adapted to engage andpress against the push button 8 for the purpose of closing the circuitand ringing the alarm. Between the spring 7 and the abutment 9 forming apart of the push button device, we place a bar 10, preferably made witha ball 11 on its outer end which is of wider diameter than the height ofthe button 8, and which keeps the spring 7 normally out of engagementwith said button. At the outer end of the bar 10 the same is formed witha loop 12, to which are attached cords 13, the other end of which arefastened to any suitable part of the corpse, preferably the fingersthereof. By this construction it will be seen that if by any chance abody once buried revives, it will not become suffocated by reason of thefact that fresh air is supplied to the coffin through the tube or pipe2, and also, the slightest movement of said revived body will withdrawthe bar 10 from engagement with the spring 7, which, when released, willdepress the push button 8, close the circuit through the battery 5 andthe annunciator 6 and thereby sound the alarm, giving notice of thefactthat the revival has taken place of the body inside the coffin.

The invention has been described in its preferred form, but it isobvious that many minor 'of the earth. This circuit is normally open,

changes may be made therein without departcorpse the said bar is pulledout of engagement with said spring, and the alarm is actuated,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ EGERLAND. JOHN M. FREESE. \Vitnesses:

G. H. KILAND, WM. FUERSTE.

